Reminder of the Call

February 12, 2023 Background Scripture: 2 Timothy 1 :3 -14 Lesson Passage: 2 Timothy 1:3 - 14 Last week's lesson discussed the resume of the "called". In today's lesson, we look at a reminder of the call. It is not a small thing to be called of God to do the work of ministry. It is also possible to be called to a ministry and not be aware of the calling. Initially, God may choose to make others aware but not the one He has called. With encouragement and prayer, a calling of God gains clarity. This appears to be the case with Timothy. Timothy was a young biracial Christian who was mentored by Paul. Timothy's mother was a Jewish Christian, and his father was Grecian. Paul met Timothy at Lystra during his second missionary journey. Apparently, Timothy's upbringing was not in the Jewish faith because he had not been circumcised at the time Paul met him. (Normally, circumcision would have taken place for a Jewish boy when he was eight days old.) Paul knew about the religious faith of Timothy's mother and his grandmother. At some point, Paul prayed for Timothy and laid hands on him to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Paul reminded Timothy of this in this second letter Paul addressed to him. Paul challenged Timothy to not forget the calling God had on his life. He was called by God before time began and was not called based on anything Timothy had done. This is a reminder for all who are called of God. God called us before time began. Because of this, we can't celebrate a specific date when we were called, but instead we celebrate the date when we became aware that we were called. God does all things well. God's calling was according to His own purpose for Timothy. This happened an eternity before Timothy was even born. Therefore, Timothy's calling was not about him but God working His divine purpose through Timothy. It was imperative for Timothy to understand that and not neglect his assignment. Paul encouraged him to fully embrace his calling and to not be ashamed of it. Paul considered himself to be an example for Timothy to follow in his minist1Y for Jesus Christ. There's no doubt that this was also to Paul's benefit. Paul would remain strong and encouraged because he knew that his life and ministry were on display for a young man like Timothy to emulate. Even Paul's oral presentation of the gospel was subject to scrutiny. Paul's speech had to serve as an example for Timothy. Consequently, Paul used sound words when he taught and preached. Paul's many testimonies reveal that he had a robust prayer life. Paul depended on the aid and guidance of the Holy Spirit as he ministered to others. Timothy's calling was a good thing and Paul challenged him to lean on the Holy Spirit to help him stay faithful to his minist1Y. Paul's advice and his example would have meant nothing if Timothy had failed to embrace his calling of God. Ministry is difficult at times. All opposition to the ministry is not external. Our flesh fights against the things of God—including our own calling. Life sometimes feels easier when our flesh leads the way. But that is not profitable for us. Having a mentor to encourage and challenge us can be essential to living up to the calling of God on our lives. This what Timothy had in Paul. Many believe that this letter was the last one Paul wrote. How appropriate that Paul focused on encouraging his protégé and reminding him of his divine calling. Robert C. Hudson January 23, 2023

Resume of Those Called

February 5, 2023 Background Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1: 18 - 31 Lesson Passage: 1 Corinthians 1:18 - 31 Sometimes the greatest challenge for a Christian worker is getting over themselves. The environment we live in tends to condition us to acquire assets or skills that make us feel secure in the positions we are placed in to serve and work. Put another way, we feel more secure in some jobs/assignments if we happen to have college degrees in the field in which we work. We feel even better about ourselves if we also have relevant work experience in that field. Personal identification, contact information, credentials, and work experience comprise the total of what we put on a resume. We believe a resume presents us as suitable for the assignment, and it defends us against our critics. As common as this might be, it stands in complete contrast to what Paul wrote about the qualifications of Christians who serve in ministry. Note that Paul was not just writing about preachers, or proclaimers, of the gospel message, but rather, Christian workers in general. Paul's argument is based on examining those called by God to do the work of ministry. Paul's summary is that not many of the people called by God are worldly wise, are in positions of worldly influence, or have royal positions or titles. Paul did not write that none of them were called; he only mentioned that there were "not many" called with those credentials. Then Paul explained the rationale for why God does it. The Spirit of Christ works through minist1'Y to bless us in this world. We should not be confused about where our help comes from. We observe and hear people and we don't always consider that people are instruments of God. If the people we observe and hear readily take credit for the outcome, we are not likely to associate the work of ministry with God—other than that God happened to have selected the right person to get the job done! That is human pride, and it dares to exalt itself against both the knowledge and acknowledgment of God's work in our lives. If we fail to examine ourselves, not only will others be misled, but we might start to believe our own press. God's solution to both is to use people who are woefully unqualified to do what God assigns to us. Therefore, we are effective in ministry when we totally depend on God to work through us and we rejoice when we declare, "God did it!" We try hard to keep others from fraudulently ascribing to us the results that only God can deliver. Much of ministry can be summarized as relentlessly pointing others to Christ over and over again. And this is not just for the answers they need, but also for them to praise Him for the blessings they receive. Only God would take a prophet who appears to be homeless and send him to the palace to rebuke the king. God is the giver and sustainer of life. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights." Every good thing in this life has its origin in God. God alone deserves all the praise and glory. We are His servants who have been saved by His grace. We have not been called because we have something to offer God. God has chosen to use us despite ourselves. It is our responsibility to help others to see what God has shown us. There is nothing on our resume that can save us from eternal damnation. What we have on our worldly resume might help us to relate better to others, but God does not need it to accomplish His will through us, We have nothing to boast about, and we can help others by informing them that all praise should go to God in all things. Robert C. Hudson January 23, 2023